Even senators from safe districts are playing a tough offense.

Sen. Josh Stein, a Raleigh Democrat, announced a November fundraiser featuring sponsorship levels of $2,000, $1,000, $500, and $250. Tickets to the event are $100.

As Stein notes, the party that controls the next election has the run of the table for the next decade since the next legislature will redraw the state's legislative districts.

We accomplished a great deal this past year, even in the face of daunting fiscal challenges. We protected public education, invested in clean energy jobs, expanded access to health care, cleaned our drinking water, invested in public transportation, and banned smoking in restaurants and bars. These victories happened because Democrats were in control. It is especially important that we keep it that way in 2010 because the next General Assembly will draw the Congressional and legislative districts for the next ten years.

We can be certain that Republicans will mount a significant challenge next year. Maintaining Democratic control of the Senate will require us to fight hard for every seat -- that's why I need your help. 

A long line ringed the block around Broughton High School Wednesday morning as hundreds of people streamed into the school's gym for the president's town hall.

Protestors and supporters of President Barack Obama's health care reform set up outside the event.

"ObamaCare wrong for NC," read one sign near Smallwood Drive. "Freedom isn't free. Neither is ObamaCare," read another.

On St. Mary's Street, supporters held up signs as well. "I can't afford MS," read one.

Many members of the state's Democratic establishment were in the crowd. Reps. Deborah Ross, Pricey Harrison and Verla Insko and Sen. Josh Stein were in the gym. State pary chairman David Young greeted VIPs near the stage which was set up with American flags as a backdrop.

Senators approved three exemptions to the state's Do Not Call list Wednesday, allowing robocalls for safety recalls and prescription orders.

The Do Not Call registry allows N.C. residents to sign up, and telemarketers are prohibited from calling them unless they have a previous business relationship.

The bill, approved 45 to 0, allows manufacturers or government agencies that are recalling a product for health and safety reasons to use automatic dialing technology to make unsolicited calls.

A company or government agency could make the calls for the recall of a prescription drug or over the counter drug, and a pharmacy could call to alert a customer that they failed to pick up their prescription.

Sen. Josh Stein, a Raleigh Democrat, emphasized that the message may not include any solicitation and has to identify what company or agency is calling.

The bill goes back to the House to approve or reject Senate changes.

Outer Banks shoppers at large retailers would have the option of paper or nothing under a bill the Senate approved today.

The legislation, which passed 47 to 1, would prohibit those stores from using plastic shopping bags. Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, a Manteo Democrat, is pushing the bill, which applies to Dare, Currituck and Hyde counties. Basnight said the flimsy bags are polluting the landscape of the Outer Banks, which relies on its landscape to attract tourism business.

The bill's chief sponsor, Sen. Josh Stein, a Raleigh Democrat, described the bill as a pilot program that could go statewide. The goal is to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags, such as the cloth totes sold at groceries, and eventually eliminate both paper and plastic bags.

Nearly 20 states have considered or imposed legislation regulating plastic bags, but only the city of San Francisco has banned them.

Retailers argue that paper bags made from recycled material, which are permitted by the bill, cost more and that retrofitting stores that are set up for plastic bags also will create costs that are passed along to customers. The wiser approach, they argue, is to encourage or even mandate recycling.

A bill would reduce plastic bag use.

Sen. Josh Stein, a Raleigh Democrat, said he filed the bill because he's concerned about their effects on the environment. 

"I'm driving down the road right now and looking out my window and in the trees and in the gutters and on the fences, everywhere are plastic bags," he said. "I don't want North Carolina's state flower to be the plastic bag, I want it to be the dogwood."

The bill would ban plastic bags at major retailers, with the exception of fresh produce, fresh meat and fresh fish. Smaller retailers could continue to use plastic bags.

Stein said most people would switch to reusable plastic and cloth bags, which can cost as little as a dollar. Others would use recyclable paper bags.

Either would be preferable to plastic, he said. 

"We consume hundreds of millions of these bags every year, and only one to three percent get recycled," he said.

Some recent Senate bills of note:

S.B. 943: Expand Film Credit, Sen. Linda Garrou

S.B. 973: Create Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs, Sen. Tony Rand 

S.B. 992: Authorize Mayors to Solemnize Marriage, Sen. Don Davis

S.B. 994: Establish State Athletics Commission, Sen. Dan Clodfelter

S.B. 1006: Withholding on Contractors Identified by ITIN, Sen. David Hoyle 

S.B. 1014: Lottery Trust Fund, Sen. Doug Berger

S.B. 1018: Reduce Plastic Bag Use, Sen. Josh Stein

Gov. Beverly Perdue thanked the state AFL-CIO this morning for their political backing, and promised she would work “shape up” state government.

But she sidestepped some of the more controversial issues on labor’s agenda, such as allowing collective bargaining by public employees, reports Rob Christensen.

Perdue told a conference of about 80 labor leaders at the downtown Sheraton that she was working long hours putting together a budget. She said her priorities were on preserving state spending on education, particularly K-12. She also wanted to protect vocational programs.

But she said there would be pain.

“It’s just so hard,” she said. “Its so hard to know the decisions I have to make will hurt people in North Carolina.”

More after the jump

   Comments (1)

When do legislators start their jobs?

As noted previously, there is some dispute over when exactly Gov. Beverly Perdue's term began. As it turns out, there's a similar situation for state representatives and senators.

According to Article II, Section 9 of the state constitution, the terms of office "shall commence on the first day of January."

This year, most legislators won't be sworn in until the opening day ceremony on Jan. 28, but their terms have already begun in other days. The legislative Web site has already been updated to include the newly elected, and they began receiving their paychecks on Jan. 1.

A few freshman legislators have decided to get started early.

Sen. Josh Stein of Raleigh was sworn in today at noon in a ceremony in the capitol, while Sen. Malcolm Graham of Charlotte was sworn in there.

Update: Justice Robin Hudson swore in Stein before a crowd of about 250 people, including Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, Sen. Marc Basnight and Rep. Deborah Ross, among others.

"I thought it would be nice to have an opportunity to be with supporters and friends to thank them because (the campaign) as a collective effort," he said.

He said Sens. Don Vaughan and Don Davis will also hold early swearings-in.

Josh Stein says he's gotten some good advice.

Taking a break from a two-day orientation for new legislators, the state senator-elect told Dome that leaders such as Speaker Joe Hackney, Senate president Marc Basnight and Lt. Gov.-elect Walter Dalton have told him and others to work hard.

"Be civil. Get to know your colleagues," he said. "Hackney said that occasionally partisan issues come up, but the bulk of the work here is what makes most sense. ... It's not particularly glamorous. Most of legislating is pretty much grunt work."

Stein, a Raleigh Democrat taking the seat of Treasurer-elect Janet Cowell, said he plans to focus on transportation issues with a focus on mass transit and improving health care and education.

In the meantime, he has a more prosaic concern.

"I'm trying to figure out how to sync my Blackberry to a PC and a Mac at the same time," he said.

The Senate class of 2008 has some big shoes to fill.

For the most part, the freshman senators are taking the seats of lawmakers who went on to higher offices — or at least ran for higher office.

The five (or six, depending on your definition) may face higher expectations as a result.

Here's a quick look at the new senators-elect:

Don Vaughan (D): A politically active Greensboro attorney who served seven terms on the City Council will be taking the seat of U.S. Sen.-elect Kay Hagan.

David Rouzer (R): A former aide to U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms from McGee's Crossroads will take over the Johnston County seat of unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith.

Debbie Clary (R): The state representative from Cherryville, the sole Republican win from its November wishlist, will take the seat of Lt. Gov.-elect Walter Dalton.

Josh Stein (D): A well-connected Raleigh lawyer who worked for John Edwards' in D.C. and served as deputy attorney general will be taking the Raleigh seat of Treasurer-elect Janet Cowell.

Don Davis (D): An Air Force veteran, college professor and the popular (and youngest ever) mayor of Snow Hill will be taking the seat of retiring Sen. John Kerr III.

Bob Rucho (R): A former four-term state senator, appointed to unsuccessful lieutenant governor candidate Robert Pittenger's seat in June, is already running for a leadership role.

Correction: An earlier version misstated the length of Vaughan's tenure.

Related: The House Class of 2008